A Few days in Bargara Qld aka Bundaberg - August 14-17 2016

A Few days in Bargara Qld aka Bundaberg - August 14-17 2016

Bargara is a beach suburb, about 10km from Bundaberg proper, well at least the CBD and main bits. The caravan park is not fabulous - adequate but not the fabulous haven as some would have had us believe. But we didn't care particularly as we wanted to explore the area a bit.

The first thing one finds is that there is an extensive network of paths and tracks you can easily walk, to the southern end of Mon Repos beach where the Loggerhead turtles come in to lay their eggs, or all the way down past the cafe strip of Bargara proper to Kellys Beach.

When we say 'beach', it may well have been quite a large expanse of sand once, but today its small creches of probably trucked in sand, protected by lots and lots of rock walls.

I walked up and down few times for some exercise. I came across this sign denoting some of the fabulous things that one just needed to view if ones appreciation of the area was to be complete

The Places Of Interest are listed as:

1. Nielsen Park Archway
2. Nielsen Park Gate Cairn
3. Old Railway Formation
4. Zunker Memorial Pines
5. Beaufort Bomber War Memorial

Ok, I know that sounds just too exciting, but settle down and I'll take you on the tour:

1. Nielsen Park Archway

Nielsen Park Archway. Bargara Qld

In all its former glory. Bargara Qld

2. Nielsen Park Gate Cairn

Nielsen Park gate cairn. Bargara Qld

the plaque upon which reads:

This gate was presented by the Hon. Chas. F. Nielson after whom the park was named. 1923. Bargara Qld

How's that for excitement? Poor old Chas, if only he could see his wonderful gate today....

But wait, there's more:

3. Old Railway formation

Now this one is just a guess on my behalf. The sign indicates that it's just next to Chas' cairn, but to the naked and untrained eye, there was nothing to see except an empty field. It may have been referring to the raised piece of dirt upon which the road was, which seems likely because in 1920 the whole place was a swamp basically. Or then again it may be referring to this post, one of two, nestled under the trees, who knows?

A rotten old pst near the CF Nielson park gate cairn, which may or may not have indicated the presence of a railway line in the park's glorious past. Bargara Qld

Where were we? Oh yes, now for number 4.

4. Zunker Memorial Pines

Bunker Memorial Pines. Bargara Qld

Fortunately I found a plaque that explains about Zunker and the pines

This avenue of pines was presented by Mr and Mrs C Langbecker in memory of their daughter and son-in-law Mary and  Charles Zunker who lost their lives in a tragic cane fire, November 1953. Bargara Qld

The last one on the list is also sad, but here it is:

5. Beaufort Bomber war memorial

Beaufort Bomber war memorial. Bargara Qld

The cairn remembers the four man crew of a Beaufort bomber which crashed 7 miles out to sea while active service, December 24, 1943. The additional plaque on the front also remembers a 3 man crew lost in an unspecified aircraft in 1942.

This is right up near the cafes which are opposite this bit of almost useful beach

Bargara beach, Qld

We spent all of our time outside of Bargara Beach and here is a quick tour:

Baldwin Swamp. A most unpleasant sounding name, but it turns out to be the most delightful park surrounding what may have been a swamp once but which now are pleasant lagoons, including a 'fishway', which we didn't identify but which is supposed to allow fish to swim upstream to give birth to lots of little baby fishes. The parks are extensive and the place abounds with heaps of birds, mostly ducks, but including spoonbills, ibis and cormorant

Baldwin Swamp. Bundaberg Qld

Ducks, one of heaps of different ones on Baldwin Swamp. Bundaberg Qld

Bats, 1000s of em in the trees at Baldwin Swamp. Bundaberg Qld

Next stop was the Botanic Gardens, which were just as pleasant. It comprised 3 large ponds and gardens all around, although not so much on the garden side. The main attraction are the ponds replete with water fowl and a surprise: water monitors. When we saw the first pair we took 10,000 snaps, but then, around the corner was another, and another etc until the sight of a pair of turtle distracted us for a minute

Water monitor. Botanic gardens. Bundaberg Qld

Water monitor. Botanic gardens. Bundaberg Qld

Botanic gardens. Bundaberg Qld

Turtle. Botanic gardens. Bundaberg Qld 

Cormorant drying itself in the midday sun. Botanic gardens. Bundaberg Qld

Some flora in the Botanic gardens. Bundaberg Qld

The botanic gardens is also home to Mon Repos, Bert Hinkler (who? do you have to ask?) house that he built 'amongst the oak trees of Thornhill Estate in Sholing, Southampton'. It was rescued and shipped out to Bundaberg and rebuilt in1983 and was used after that as a Hinkler museum. It has been replaced by a brand new edifice next door, which is pretty good and which houses replicas of Hinklers planes and other memorabilia. Actually we were lucky, they were displaying the actual Avro Baby, which they have on loan, in which he set all those flying records, and which he landed right here in Bundaberg on the factory common in front of his mum & dad's house in 1921.

Mon Repos. Hinkler Museum. Bundaberg Qld

Avro Baby. Bert Hinkler cut-out. Hinkler museum. Bundaberg Qld

What else? Oh yes, The Barrel, home, well tourist shop, of the Bundaberg Brewed soft drinks. We went in and even did the little tour, the basis of which was that once upon a time all soft drinks were brewed, and then a big bad ogre invented cordial and aeration. Bundaberg kept brewing etc and they trade on this, except that now most of the 16 flavours they produce are cordial based. oops, just forgot to mention that. We tasted most of the 16, most of them are hideously sweet. I'll just stick to Ginger Beer, a case of 24, 250 ml cans they allowed me to buy for $10

Big Barrel. Bundaberd Qld

You can't come to Bundaberg and not visit the Bundaberg Distillery, now can you? Especially as they opened a brand new visitor centre only 4 days ago. We first came here in about 1995 with the kids, here's what it looked like then

Amy, Lauren and Kathryn. Bundaberg Distillery, 1995

Bundaberg Distillery, 1995

And now, as modern as today!

Visitors centre. Bundaberg Distillery, 2016

Museum. Bundaberg Distillery, 2016

An old stuffed advertising bear, pensioned off by Bundaberg Distillery, 2016 

The original house is still there, tucked in behind. Bundaberg Distillery, 2016

We also went to The Port and Burnett Heads, which is one and the same place, having been joined by a new road through yet another would be housing estate. The whole area in a single word: uninspiring.

Burnett Heads Qld

Would be housing estate. Burnett Heads Qld

But that's enough for today. I will mention that we also went to Sharon Gorge, yes a town called Sharon, and visited Woodgate Beach, 30km south, which has potential for a stop on another trip.

Highlight of the stay? A 2 kilo pack of strawberries direct from the farm door for $5, and they are delicious!